AA fares back on Orbitz
American Airlines fares will be reinstated on Orbitz.com, after the Circuit Court of Cook County in Illinois ruled in favor of Travelport's request for injunctive relief against the airline, which pulled its content from Orbitz.com and Orbitz for Business in late December 2010. Read More
Sabre Holdings and American Airlines on Wednesday filed suit against each other, even as the two companies negotiate a distribution agreement.
In the latest round of the airline-GDS battles, AA added Sabre to the antitrust lawsuit it originally filed in April 2011 against Travelport, and Sabre filed a motion to intervene in AA's antitrust lawsuit against Travelport in federal court.
AA said its amended lawsuit claims that Sabre and Travelport control over 90% of bookings made by U.S.-based travel agencies and dominate an essential link to travel agents and many consumers.
AA said Travelport and Sabre "continue to engage in anti-competitive conduct to protect their market position from new competition by alternative technologies that are both less expensive and more capable, including aggressively suppressing the ability of travel agents to seek alternative methods to book tickets directly with airlines using direct connections with airlines."
Sabre said its antitrust claim asserts that AA is engaging in "anticompetitive conduct to maintain its monopoly position over air transportation out of its hubs and between many U.S. and Caribbean cities, and to gain a monopoly position in air booking services for travel between those cities."
"Our preference was to extend the current legal 'stand down,'" Chris Kroeger, senior vice president of Sabre Travel Network, said in a statement. "However, it is apparent based on AA's actions that Sabre has no choice but to pursue legal remedies. In parallel, we will continue to pursue through negotiations a distribution agreement with AA that meets the needs of all constituents."
Sabre claims AA is "unlawfully forcing travel agencies, travel management companies and corporations to take its Direct Connect product in order to access the airline’s full fare information."
The claim also asserts that AA is attempting to eliminate the GDSs by "refusing to provide complete fare information to GDSs and by forcing travel agents to use AA's Direct Connect product instead of GDSs. Through these actions, AA is reducing competition for air services and air booking services, thereby maintaining and expanding its monopoly position."
Sabre said its claim seeks damages and an injunction preventing AA from continuing to force travel agents and other customers to take the airline's Direct Connect product.